Sunday, May 23, 2010, 7:00 p.m., at Walt Disney Concert Hall

Moses Hogan Spirituals Are Centerpiece of Concert

Elijah Rock and Battle of Jericho are two of the soul-searing spirituals by prolific composer Moses Hogan that anchor the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s Americana program concluding its season on Sunday, May 23, 2010, 7:00 p.m., at Walt Disney Concert Hall. In addition, Music Director Grant Gershon conducts such classic folk songs as Shenandoah and Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair in addition to selections from the Sacred Harp Anthology, a collection of hymns presented in the shape note style, a teaching technique from the 1800’s using varying shapes to represent different notes.

“Moses Hogan’s virtuosic arrangements, filled with incredible energy, are amazing display pieces for choir,” states Gershon. “To shine the light on the full range of his artistry is a wonderful aspect of this concert. We’ll be raising Disney Hall’s rafters!”

Hogan, a pianist, conductor and internationally renowned arranger, was known for his vast body of accessible and popular arrangements of spirituals. Tragically, the New Orleans native died of brain cancer in 2003 at age 45.

The performance of Americana is made possible, in part, by a grant from The National Endowment for the Arts.

Concert tickets to range from $19 to $124. Student Rush seats are $10 and are available at the box office two hours before the performance. For tickets and information, please call (213) 972-7282, or visit www.lamc.org. (Tickets can no longer be purchased at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office except on concert days starting 2 hours prior to the performance.) The Walt Disney Concert Hall is located at 111 South Grand Avenue at First Street in downtown Los Angeles.

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EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: Calendar Listing

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

The Grammy-nominated LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE, currently celebrating its 46th Season, has been cited as a national leader for its innovative and dynamic programming. Los Angeles Times states the Chorale “has become the most exciting chorus in the country under Grant Gershon.” Since its founding in 1964, LAMC has presented more than 450 concerts, including choral music from the earliest writings to the most recent contemporary compositions. In 2003 the Chorale became one of two resident companies in Walt Disney Concert Hall, launching a period of incredible artistic and organizational growth. The Chorale has commissioned 21 and premiered 51 new works, and has recorded 6 CD's. The Chorale’s most recent recording with Gershon, Daniel Variations, was released on Nonesuch in spring 2008. LAMC performs a season of seven concerts at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, plus two performances of the Messiah Sing-Along; and the family-friendly Holiday Wonders concert in December; and also performs regularly with the L.A. Philharmonic. The Los Angeles Master Chorale has more than 1,000 subscribers, serves over 40,000 audience members of all ages, and provides education outreach to approximately 13,000 children each year. In 2008, one of the Chorale’s highly successful outreach programs, “Voices Within,” earned the coveted Chorus America Education Outreach Award.

Los Angeles Master Chorale Music Director GRANT GERSHON is equally at home with symphonic and choral music, opera, and musical theater. He was named Music Director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale in 2001, and also serves as LA Opera Associate Conductor/Chorus Master. During his tenure with the Chorale, he has led over 60 programs at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Gershon has also expanded the choir's repertoire considerably, conducting dozens of world, U.S., West Coast and Los Angeles premieres. His Nonesuch recording with the Chorale of Steve Reich's You Are (Variations) was honored with the WQXR Gramophone America Award in 2006. The New York Times, Washington Post and Newsday, among others, selected it as one of the top ten classical recordings of 2005. In 2002 he made his first CD with the Master Chorale, featuring the world premiere recording of Esa-Pekka Salonen's first choral work as well as Philip Glass's Itaipú (RCM 12004). Gershon has also served as chorus master on two Grammy Award-nominated CD's, Sweeney Todd (New York Philharmonic Special Editions) and Ligeti's Grand Macabre (Sony Classical). He has appeared on the Great Performers series at Lincoln Center leading the LA Master Chorale, and on the Making Music Series at Zankel Hall. Gershon conducted the Minnesota Opera's world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's acclaimed opera The Grapes of Wrath, led subsequent performances of the work with the Utah Symphony and also conducted the cast recording released in 2008 on P.S. Classics. In May 2009 he made his highly acclaimed Los Angeles Opera debut leading eight performances of Verdi's La Traviata. Gershon received his bachelor of music degree cum laude in piano performance from USC, and currently serves on the USC Thornton School of Music Board of Advisors.

Artists, program and ticket prices subject to change.

03/17/10